The present invention relates to improved bag-type containers for use in a non-immersion fabric care process for dry clean only fabrics. The bags resist collapsing because they have more than two sides whereby a three dimensional interior void space is formed. The bags of this invention are used in fabric care or xe2x80x9crefreshmentxe2x80x9d processes are conducted in a hot air environment in the presence of a cleaning/refreshment composition.
Certain delicate fabrics are not suitable for conventional in-home immersion cleaning processes. Home washing machines, which provide excellent cleaning results for the majority of fabrics used in today""s society, can, under certain conditions, shrink or otherwise damage silk, linen, wool and other delicate fabrics. Consumers typically have their delicate fabric items xe2x80x9cdry-cleanedxe2x80x9d. Unfortunately, dry-cleaning usually involves immersing the fabrics in various hydrocarbon and halocarbon solvents that require special handling and must be reclaimed, making the process unsuitable for in-home use. Hence, dry-cieaning has traditionally been restricted to commercial establishments making it less convenient and more costly than in-home laundering processes. But, excluding cost and convenience, dry-cleaning processes remain generally superior to in-home, immersion laundering processes for the care of fine fabrics.
Attempts have been made to provide in-home dry-cleaning systems that combine the fabric cleaning and refreshing of in-home, immersion laundering processes with the fabric care benefits of dry-cleaning processes. One such in-home system for cleaning and refreshing garments comprises a substrate sheet containing various liquid or gelled cleaning agents, and a plastic bag. The garments are placed in the bag together with the sheet, and then tumbled in a conventional clothes dryer. In a current commercial embodiment, multiple single-use flat sheets comprising a cleaning/refreshing agent and a single multi-use plastic bag are provided in a package. The bags used in such in-home processes are typically two sided and closed in an xe2x80x9cenvelopexe2x80x9d fashion. Unfortunately, the two sided, envelope style bag is sub-optimal with respect to cleaning and refreshing fine fabrics.
To be clear, these in-home, non-ininersion processes are substantially superior to in-home, immersion processes with respect to cleaning and refreshing fine fabrics But the envelope style bags used in these in-home, non-immersion processes tend to collapse around the fabric articles being cleaned and refreshed. The envelope style bags billow slightly when steam is generated inside the bag as the cleaning refreshment composition is vaporized. But current bags provide only minimal interior void space within which the fabric articles can tumble. Thus, there is a continuing need to find improved containment bags for use in in-home, non-immersion cleaning and refreshing processes. Preferably, these improved containment bags resist collapsing and provide a larger interior void space within which the fabric articles can tumble freely. By allowing the fabric articles to tumble freely, wrinkle removal is improved and wrinkle resistance/prevention is enhanced as compared to the current conventional bags.
The present invention provides such a containment bag, and when used in the processes of this invention, and with the kits of this invention, the cleaning and refreshing of fine fabrics is improved.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a vapor-venting containment bag comprising:
i) an open configuration and a closed configuration;
ii) a VVE rating of at least about 40, preferably at least about 60 and less than about 90, preferably less than about 80, as measured in the Vapor Venting Evaluation Test.
When the bag is in its closed configuration the bag comprises at least three flexible side walls. Further, when the bag is in its closed configuration a three dimensional interior void space is formed whereby the bag resists collapsing. Preferably, the bag comprises at least four side walls configured in the form of a tetrahedron. In another aspect, the bag comprises at least six side walls configured in the form of a cube.
In yet another aspect of this invention there is provided a process for cleaning or refreshing fabrics by contacting the fabrics with a fabric cleaning/refreshment composition comprising water in a vapor-venting containment bag as described above. In one preferred embodiment, the process is carried out in a hot air clothes dryer at a temperature from about 40xc2x0 C. to about 150xc2x0 C., whereby malodors present on the fabrics are vented from the bag by means of the vapor-venting closure.
There is also provided herein a kit for cleaning or refreshing fabrics, comprising a package that contains one or more absorbent articles comprising a carrier which releasably contains water and optional non-water fabric cleaning/refreshment ingredients, and a vapor-venting containment bag as described above. In a preferred embodiment, the kit further comprises from one to about ten of the absorbent articles which are disposable after a single use.
All percentages, ratios and proportions herein are by weight, unless otherwise specified. All documents cited are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference.
It has now been unexpectedly discovered that certain bags, specifically, those with more than two side walls, form a three dimensional interior void space when they are closed. This three dimensional void space allows the bag to resist collapsing on the fabric articles that are treated within the bag. That is, the bag retains its xe2x80x9cbillowedxe2x80x9d configuration better than conventional envelope style bags. Even more surprisingly, the bags of this invention, by virtue of their enhanced three dimensional configuration, tumble more efficiently in a conventional clothes dryer. Specifically, the bags tend to maintain a position in the center of the tumbling drum of a clothes dryer resisting the centrifugal forces that tend to pull common envelope style bags to the side walls of the drum where they collapse. By virtue of their design, the bags of this invention tend to maintain their three dimensional shape such that the fabric articles inside the bag are free to tumble, while at the same time being in the controlled environment of a vapor venting bag.